Salazar, BP on oil spill: 'We want to be transparent' Special

Robert
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During a press briefing, Ken Salazar, Secretary for the Department of the Interior, declared, "We shall not rest or have a day off until this problem is solved" as he assured everyone the government seeks transparency.

Kenneth Salazar, Admiral Mary Landry of the Coast Guard and Doug Suttlles, Chief Operating Officer for British Petroleum and an ongoing spokesperson for the company with regard to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, met with reporters and reviewed the present situation and future plans for oil containment and prevention of the oil from reaching shoreline. This comes 23 days after an oil rig explosion that has brought thousands of barrels of oil into the Gulf.

Salazar continued his remarks by saying, "We are resolute to bring this problem under control." He also said the nation's leading scientists are meeting in Houston to review strategies for mitigating the impact of the oil spill and stopping it. He underlined the fact his department provides for 33 wildlife refuges in the Gulf. He said, "We are making sure we are doing everything we can to protect the natural resources of the Gulf Coast."

Admiral Landry also reiterated her previous remarks for the past three weeks as she declared they have been responding since Day 1 in a "team effort" and reminded people of the problems involved by declaring, "We continue to be challenged."

Landry also said that in spite of the difficulties involved in the efforts so far, "We have been successful with little impact on shoreline." She explained subsea dispersements have been deployed and that they "didn't cross the threshold lightly" on deciding on this strategy.

Suttles described how he had flown over the scene yesterday and observed the dispersant is working and the efforts to date to contain the spill have been successful because of the joint efforts of everyone involved and the weather to date.

The insertion tube that was to be used to stop the flow failed last night, and Suttles indicates, "It should be working tonight."

"Weather plays an important part in our efforts so far," Suttles continued as he thanked the efforts of the 17,000 people so far involved in helping clean up and stop the oil spill.

Salazar concluded his remarks by saying, "We want to be transparent with the nation. It is hard to measure the total amount of the oil, but whatever information we have we are trying to make available."